Anchored Within: A Holistic Educational Framework for Student Mental Health through Indigenous Psychology

Abstract

The mental health of students in India has become increasingly worrisome; however, existing interventions are based on Western psychological constructs, which may lack cultural appropri-ateness. This paper envisages Yoga Sūtra, The Pancha Kosha Model, and The Integral Yoga as theoretical frameworks as well as a grounding imperative to Indigenous Psychology that propa-gates a non-clinical holistic approach to psychology from the perspective of Indian Knowledge systems (IKS), to reimagine mental health as a transformative inner experience. The study uses textual analysis, policy mapping, and review of the empirical literature to outline an IKS-based mental health framework for education. Consistent with national policy, it provides culturally relevant resources for teachers, curriculum developers, and student advocates.